Russia’s first anthropomorphic AIdol robot took slow steps until it collapsed moments after its debut at a tech event in Moscow. Slow steps, a slight wave towards the audience – and then a fall with pieces of the robot flying away as the organizers closed the curtains over the event.
Vladimir Vitukhin, CEO of AIDOL, told Russian state news agency Tass that the robot is still in the learning phase. “I hope this mistake turns into an experience,” The New York Times quoted Vitukhin as saying.
Russian robot crash goes viral
A viral video of the moment shows the AIdol being led on stage to the soundtrack of cult film ‘Rocky’, but the moment turned awkward when staff rushed to cover the Russian robot with a cloth, which tangled itself in the commotion.
The fall sparked huge chatter among netizens who took to social media – with many joking that the robot had “too much vodka”.
What is AIdol?
The developers of the Russian humanoid robot AIDOL said on the project’s website that the machine embodied artificial intelligence can walk, manipulate objects and communicate with people. The developers noted that the robot’s capabilities could make it attractive for a number of potential uses, and that it could become useful in industries including automotive, warehousing and medicine, as well as entertainment.
Why did the AI robot fall?
Organizers attributed the robot’s problems to calibration and lighting issues, according to journalists who attended the event.
Tech journalist Dmitry Filonov noted that it’s common for robotics startups to encounter initial technical issues, citing Boston Dynamics’ viral Atlas robot reel as an example, according to the NYT.
In a post published on his Substack before the event, Filonov had already warned that AIDOL might face mobility issues. He added that while most humanoid robots lack human faces, AIDOL’s developers have invested heavily in creating them – with the goal of creating a design that faithfully mimics human expressions.
“I think they were just unlucky,” Filonov reportedly said after the accident.
